The major case squad have another tough case to crack, this time trying to uncover the mastermind behind a series of crimes involving murders where a couple is selected, knocked unconscious with chloroform, strapped to chairs against their will and given instructions:either a husband or wife will be given a choice, to kill their respected spouse or die themselves. Detectives Nichols and Stevens(Jeff Goldblum and Saffron Burrows)believe that the one responsible for the construction of these crimes is a psychiatrist whose field is social work, such employment providing him with files on all the ones who were found dead, suction marks on the bodies, a single gunshot(most of the time to the head). It's ultimately based on a theory that if forced to choose between your own life or the fate of the one you are supposed to love the most, those with the gun will save themselves. Brought into the storyline, a haunting memory of what a man remembered about his father(a Nazi ordered a Jew to either kill his wife or himself), our detectives discover facts about their suspect which could provide a reasoning behind why he stages these "social science" experiments. Creepy performance from Dallas Roberts as the suspect, Abel Hazard(last name anglicize from a longer Jewish title) who approaches the experiments in a cold, detached way, a scientific theory challenged by Nichols as not only flawed, but akin to the Nazis who caused his people misery and death, comparing the psychiatrist's work to Dr. Mendele and Logen, evil people mistreating innocent people to prove a sickening point about the human condition when faced with a horrifying decision. Goldblum's always a joy to watch and his work opposite Roberts, two men psychologically dueling over a serious matter regarding multiple homicides, is certainly fascinating. Goldblum's best scene could be when he is encrypting a code prepared by the suspect before the major case squad, the unraveled clues obviously stimulating to a Sherlock Holmesian intellectual such as Nichols.
4 Reviews
Dr. Mengele's protégé
bkoganbing18 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Dallas Roberts has given us some truly creepy characters on the big and small screen in the past several years. None more so than Dr. Abel Hazard of this Criminal Intent episode.
After uniform officers find a man dressed in just a hospital gown in Central Park the case goes to Jeff Goldblum at Major Case. A little research shows that this man's injuries and that of his dead wife establish a pattern not previously known.
What a pattern it is too. The perpetrator is a psychologist played by Dallas Roberts whose family were lost in the holocaust. Which has convinced him that human beings are a worthless selfish lot and he's developed certain experiments to prove his theory. Not unlike those that Dr. Mengele performed. Wait till you see where Roberts finds his subjects for experimentation.
A family holocaust survivor who thinks his family's suffering has earned him the right to be another Mengele. What could be more weird than that?
After uniform officers find a man dressed in just a hospital gown in Central Park the case goes to Jeff Goldblum at Major Case. A little research shows that this man's injuries and that of his dead wife establish a pattern not previously known.
What a pattern it is too. The perpetrator is a psychologist played by Dallas Roberts whose family were lost in the holocaust. Which has convinced him that human beings are a worthless selfish lot and he's developed certain experiments to prove his theory. Not unlike those that Dr. Mengele performed. Wait till you see where Roberts finds his subjects for experimentation.
A family holocaust survivor who thinks his family's suffering has earned him the right to be another Mengele. What could be more weird than that?
I have proved selfless behavior is a myth.
Mrpalli7710 October 2017
A young couple were spending time in the dock where their boat is placed, making up their mind about names to give to their soon to be adopted child. Suddenly a masked man turned up and put them in a van. The next day, labourers were cleaning a pod when the man kidnapped before (Derek Cecil) showed up in hospital gown totally freak out, stating to have killed his wife. Nichols and Stevens, thanks to a bracelet left in victim's wrist, make a connection to a previous murder in which a woman was convicted to kill her husband. The perp had some troubles since his childhood due to something happened during the WWII to his grandparents and he wants to prove matters involving human behavior to the world.
Nichols, while looking at black guys shooting hoops, talks about an interesting theory involving routines. Later on he managed to translate modern hieroglyphic written by the perp in the bracelets, something that not even his polyglot partner would be able to do.
Nichols, while looking at black guys shooting hoops, talks about an interesting theory involving routines. Later on he managed to translate modern hieroglyphic written by the perp in the bracelets, something that not even his polyglot partner would be able to do.
Days of remembrance past
TheLittleSongbird9 September 2021
Had no doubt that "Abel and Willing" would be at least good. The story sounded very intriguing and creepy and memories of Dallas Roberts' skin crawling guest turn in the 'Chicago PD'/'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' crossover are still very vivid. Season 9, with nearly all the episodes having the Nichols and Burrows partnering, was a rather up and down season, with a few very good episodes and some average or less ones.
"Abel and Willing" is one of the very good episodes. It is not a 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' high-point, but it is easily one of the better episodes of Season 9 and as far as the episodes to have Nichols as the main lead go it's in the better category too. Perfect "Abel and Willing" may not be, but the two main interest points don't disappoint and it is a strong improvement over all the previous Nichols and Stevens outings in their first very good episode.
Still would have liked more spark between Nichols and Stevens as well as in the performance of Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (the character is still bland and so is she).
On the other hand, It is a visually slick episode, typical for 'Criminal Intent' and the 'Law and Order' franchise, and one with the right amount of muted grit, the photography doesn't try to do anything too fancy or gimmicky while not being claustrophobic and keeping things simple. The music doesn't overbear past the early stages with the theme tune still memorable and the direction is accommodating yet tight enough.
Script is thoughtful and intriguing, though could have been tighter at times. The story on the whole does engage, more so in the second half when things become twistier and more intricate. Jeff Goldblum is more than watchable and in full command of his role not overplaying the quirkiness. Saffron Burrows doesn't do too bad a job. The most striking aspects though are the genuinely creepy atmosphere and the both sinister and tormented performance of Roberts in one of the season's best guest performances.
In summary, very good. 8/10.
"Abel and Willing" is one of the very good episodes. It is not a 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' high-point, but it is easily one of the better episodes of Season 9 and as far as the episodes to have Nichols as the main lead go it's in the better category too. Perfect "Abel and Willing" may not be, but the two main interest points don't disappoint and it is a strong improvement over all the previous Nichols and Stevens outings in their first very good episode.
Still would have liked more spark between Nichols and Stevens as well as in the performance of Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (the character is still bland and so is she).
On the other hand, It is a visually slick episode, typical for 'Criminal Intent' and the 'Law and Order' franchise, and one with the right amount of muted grit, the photography doesn't try to do anything too fancy or gimmicky while not being claustrophobic and keeping things simple. The music doesn't overbear past the early stages with the theme tune still memorable and the direction is accommodating yet tight enough.
Script is thoughtful and intriguing, though could have been tighter at times. The story on the whole does engage, more so in the second half when things become twistier and more intricate. Jeff Goldblum is more than watchable and in full command of his role not overplaying the quirkiness. Saffron Burrows doesn't do too bad a job. The most striking aspects though are the genuinely creepy atmosphere and the both sinister and tormented performance of Roberts in one of the season's best guest performances.
In summary, very good. 8/10.
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